Commerce networks provide a means for electronically connecting buyers and suppliers. Buyers can enhance their supplier network by being electronically connected to many different suppliers. As a result, a buyer may be able to obtain better pricing, and the suppliers may be able to realize additional sales.
However, buyers need a means by which to distinguish one supplier responding to a business opportunity from another supplier. That is, the buyers desire some form of guidance in the selection of a supplier. Additionally, buyers desire the ability to interact with references of suppliers for the purpose of additionally vetting the supplier.
Suppliers want to port their offline (brick-and-mortar) reputations and references online, and provide potential new customers with the ability to interact with those references.
Therefore, there is a need for a system, method and apparatus for providing a buyer with the ability to distinguish suppliers through additional guidance and references related to the suppliers. Additionally, there is a need for suppliers to provide additional information to potential buyers to improve the possibility of more buyers interacting with the supplier.